Saying “I lied earlier” takes more nerve than the lie ever needed.

Lies are cheap to tell. They cost nothing in the moment and they often work. Going back and taking one apart is the expensive part, because you are handing somebody a reason to think less of you, and doing it on purpose. That is why a small lie usually gets to stand until it hardens into something bigger.

If you are carrying one, pick the smallest and say it plainly, with no long run-up and no excuse attached. Naming what you said and then what actually happened is enough. The relief tends to arrive faster than you expect.